- 5 weeks ago
Supercruising- Life at Sea (2025) Season 1 Episode 7- Episode 7
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00:00Around the world cruise ships are getting bigger, bolder and busier.
00:07These vast floating cities run 24 hours a day.
00:11We go back to back with cruises. We don't take a break at all.
00:15Carrying thousands of passengers and crew.
00:18That's a big job.
00:20And offering everything from fine dining to full-scale theatres.
00:27They're built for adventure and designed for luxury.
00:32Get used to this. Cheers!
00:34This year, a world-leading cruise line is back sailing a full season from the UK for the first time in a decade.
00:42Meet the MS Neustadtendam.
00:45Weighing 100,000 tonnes with 12 passenger decks.
00:50Well ready for this.
00:5212 restaurants curated by world-renowned chefs.
00:55That's what I'm talking about.
00:56Ooh, it's a buzz.
00:57And a full program of entertainment.
00:59We are expected to do everything perfectly at all times.
01:02And excursions day and night.
01:05At the same time, her sister ship, the MS Rotterdam, is cruising through the Americas.
01:10Nearly 4,000 people on board.
01:13Who's excited?
01:14A 760-seat theatre.
01:1610 minutes mic check, please. Mic checks. 10 minutes.
01:19And all the onboard amenities you'd expect for a perfect holiday at sea.
01:23Let's go.
01:24Oh, it's gorgeous.
01:25Oh, lovely.
01:26Guys, let's go.
01:27So far, we've traveled with two cruise ships as they've crisscrossed the globe.
01:32Woo-hoo!
01:33But now, the new Staten Dam is sailing solo.
01:40This time, the ship docks in the Dominican Republic for a drive down memory lane.
01:45A 66 Dodge Dart. Can you imagine?
01:48And calls in at the Bahamas, the perfect spot for a hot date.
01:52Yay, Chet!
01:53Easy!
01:54The passengers on the voyage around the Caribbean are enjoying all the facilities of a premium cruise ship.
02:13From showbiz spectaculars to the most tempting of treats.
02:17Can I be naughty and pin your cherry?
02:19Yes, you can.
02:20For them, it's a two-week break from everyday life.
02:24But for the ship's crew, it's a way of life.
02:27An extraordinary one.
02:29Crew's life opens up a whole world and life that you just didn't realize could be possible.
02:36Different cultures, different religions, different cuisines.
02:39Ready for the beautiful barbers. I was born ready for the great food.
02:44But it's their colleagues who most define the experience.
02:48On ships, you're seeing everybody every single day.
02:52Your off time is with the same people that you work with.
02:55So you get to know somebody very, very quickly.
02:58Bow me like that!
03:00We spend so much time together.
03:02It definitely does feel like a little family.
03:05It's quite strange. It's very unique to being on ships.
03:08These tight-knit professionals make it their mission to provide holidaymakers with a memorable trip.
03:18And on this one, the ship is circling the Caribbean.
03:21Stopping off at dream destinations including the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic.
03:30There'll be amazing things to experience ashore, but there's a lot to learn about the ship, too.
03:36Cruise and travel director Claire Adams from Hertfordshire regularly gives passengers a peek behind the scenes.
03:43The idea behind the coffee chats is so guests, when they come on board, they can actually get a little sneaky insight into what life is like as a crew member.
03:53You see myself a lot. You see our crew in the shops and the spa, etc.
03:58But there's a lot of crew members on board that you don't get to see on a day-to-day basis, and it's probably because everything's running properly.
04:06My partner, Andrew, he's an electrical engineer on board.
04:10Comes in very handy when you date an electrician to bring him in on a coffee chat, but he does a great job.
04:15He explains just the other side of cruise ships that the guests don't see every day.
04:21Once a month, we do maintenance on the azipots. The temperature down there is very hot and it's uncomfortable and humid.
04:29But yeah, what we're basically doing down there is we're having to look for oil leaks.
04:33We're doing some electrical testing on some sensors and such.
04:36During the coffee chat, we don't actually bring up our relationship.
04:39If it comes up as a question from the guests, then we will joke about it.
04:43You're on the ship for a long time. Relationships. How do you manage that?
04:48What a great question. Andrew, how do you manage your relationships on board?
04:58I'm getting picked on there. No, I'm lucky enough to have my partner sail on board with me.
05:03Who's she? I think you know her very well.
05:06So, yeah, Claire's my partner and I'm lucky enough to...
05:15I'm, for me, relationships on board is pretty simple, you know, so...
05:21Poor guy, let's face it. Poor guy, everyone. He has to put up with me every day.
05:26What's it like interviewing my boyfriend? It depends how much of a wind-up I feel that day.
05:33Now, if you were both to spend the next year on board doing something different,
05:40Andrew, you can either be the florist or the acupuncturist.
05:47And one of them is a lot more of a better answer for your partner.
05:50Yeah, I was going to say...
05:53I was going to say the florist, yeah, because my girlfriend loves flowers.
05:56Oh, that's sweet.
06:01How do you read me?
06:03I'm not too sure of what she told you, but I'll tell you the true story.
06:08I was in the entertainment office doing my emails.
06:10And I walked in and I greeted her, and I also knew that the entertainment office always has candy.
06:17As he was leaving, he said, oh, I heard this is the office where they have the candy.
06:22As I was leaving, she said, you can bring some candy next time when you come to the office.
06:27He will say I now couldn't stop thinking about him for the rest of the time until I saw him again.
06:31And from that moment on, I knew she was, she wanted to see me again and she was thinking about me all the time.
06:39Personally, I don't remember thinking about him until the next time I saw him.
06:43But the next time I saw him, I then said, oh, you never came back for any candy.
06:48And in his head, he was like, ah, she likes me.
06:51Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the true story.
06:54There's a lot else to fall in love with in the Caribbean, from the white sandy beaches to the turquoise waters and tropical climate.
07:07Today, the ship is calling it Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, the cruise line's own picture postcard private island.
07:15The Bahamas is a nation of under half a million people, consisting of an archipelago stretching southeastwards from Florida.
07:25But at Half Moon Cay, there are just 65 residents, part of a dedicated team aiming to offer a beach paradise experience.
07:34Only 5% of the island is developed and the rest includes a nature reserve, home to tropical birds, marine life and untouched mangroves.
07:43But whether you want to saddle up to horse ride through the surf, paddle through hidden lagoons or just soak up the sun, Half Moon Cay has you covered.
07:56The new Staten Dam stops here just 25 times a year, while most passengers make a beeline for the island.
08:05Look at that turquoise water.
08:08Oh, yeah. This will make a good position.
08:11Careful, love. Coming down.
08:12Coming down.
08:14Jackie and her husband Richard, a retired forensic specialist from Nottinghamshire, are staying on board for a different perspective.
08:22Let me get started.
08:24And me.
08:25Get all my gear out.
08:26I'll ignore you while you're painting then.
08:29Need glasses on.
08:31Are you talking to yourself?
08:32I am.
08:41Jackie and Richard aren't the only couple captivated by the island.
08:44See you later.
08:48One of the perks of working at sea for Claire and her boyfriend Andrew is getting to disembark in beautiful locations.
08:56Life on board a ship can be, can be quite romantic.
09:00We go to very nice ports on a regular basis.
09:03We sneak away for lunch.
09:07I'm glad you could get up there.
09:09Yeah.
09:10It doesn't happen often that you get a chance to go off and the weather's quite nice.
09:15Go play basketball later.
09:17Oh, yeah.
09:18It'll be good.
09:19Remember last time I beat you.
09:21You did not beat me at all.
09:24I did.
09:25I taught you how to throw a basketball.
09:27You make up so many stories.
09:29Don't worry.
09:30It's not like that.
09:38I think it's great you brought your painting stuff, you know.
09:41Oh, thank you, darling.
09:42You do some great work.
09:43Oh, thank you.
09:45It's really good.
09:47It's been 21 years.
09:49How many?
09:5121?
09:52Yeah.
09:53I mean, I spent five years at art college, four years at art college, and then got into an entirely different occupation.
10:02I have to say, I just find it so therapeutic.
10:10OK, these two?
10:12Yeah, I think it's perfect.
10:14I'm so happy.
10:16No, just because we finally get to actually have a day off together.
10:19Yeah.
10:20That's nice, sir.
10:21OK.
10:23One of the most challenging things about the ships is that you live and eat and socialise in the same place you work.
10:30And so, naturally, you get so much closer to people or quicker than you maybe would on land.
10:36But it's also, even though it's the most challenging thing, it's the most beautiful thing about it at the same time.
10:40I know you've got to work and stuff, and I've got to work, but how ridiculous this is for some time off.
10:46But yeah, we're really lucky to basically catch a small little tender ride, and you're in probably one of the best beaches in the world.
10:52I could fall asleep.
10:57Do you want to cover me at work tonight?
10:59Me?
11:01No, thank you.
11:03I'm relaxing.
11:05It's very common that you meet somebody from a different country or that you meet somebody on board and fall in love.
11:14You're in this work atmosphere 24 hours a day.
11:18So you have to stop for a second to notice all the little memories that you're making.
11:24Are you in a rush to go there?
11:26No, I'm still on time.
11:28Do you want to try and do some jet skis?
11:30Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.
11:32Yeah? Yeah, that would be great. Let's go.
11:34Yay, jet skis!
11:39Get a little jet skiing before we go back.
11:41A little bit of action.
11:43A little bit of action.
11:44At Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, British cruise and travel director Claire and Andrew, her engineer boyfriend of 15 months, are enjoying some rare moments of time off together.
12:07Okay.
12:08Not every day can we get off in port, but when we do, it's great and the Caribbean is a great area to do that.
12:21So, I guess we're lucky.
12:23We experience loads of things that you wouldn't experience if you were dating somebody at home.
12:29Everything is always a new adventure.
12:30I guess the most beautiful thing about cruising is you get to know people you would maybe never get to meet.
12:45You fall in love.
12:49I guess I'm just blessed that we met.
12:50As Andrew and Claire's precious time off together draws to a close, back on the ship, Richard and Jackie are still navigating their long-established relationship.
13:11They're going to get one of the tenderships, don't you think?
13:12I know they're not there now, but they will be soon.
13:13I think it's just a bit warm.
13:14I mean the painting, I think.
13:15I don't mean for us to go on the tenderships, Richard.
13:16I mean for you to do on the painting.
13:17Oh, yeah, of course, yeah.
13:18We've been married so long and we still don't understand each other, do we?
13:19We don't.
13:20We speak a different language.
13:21I'll test you, Richard.
13:22What?
13:23How long have we been married?
13:24Oh, I've got a few years.
13:25Is it 54 this year?
13:26It is.
13:27Well done.
13:28You can have a blue, a red star for that.
13:29Oh, thank you.
13:30I mean the amount of cruises we've been on and it's times like this where you see, yeah,
13:33you know, we're not going to do on the same page.
13:35We can have a red star for that.
13:36I mean, we still don't understand each other, do we?
13:37We don't.
13:38We speak a different language.
13:39We speak a different language.
13:40I'll test you, Richard.
13:41What?
13:42How long have we been married?
13:43Oh, I've got a few years.
13:45Is it 54 this year?
13:46It is.
13:47Is it 54?
13:48Well done.
13:49You can have a blue, a red star for that.
13:50Oh, thank you.
13:51I mean, the amount of cruises we've been on and it's times like this where you see, yeah,
13:59you don't have to do much but you can enjoy yourself.
14:02Exactly.
14:03Just soaking the sunshine up.
14:04But I think I'm going to call that a day.
14:06Well, I must say it's been nice watching an artist at work.
14:09Oh, thank you.
14:10Let's have a look at what you've done.
14:12There you are.
14:13Oh, we can tell where we are.
14:15Very nice.
14:19After a chilled out day at Half Moon Cay, it's time to set sail again.
14:23Guys, engage and then remove the stopper bar.
14:26And that means raising the anchor.
14:29It's a skilled operation run by Vince de la Rama.
14:33Start damper wash.
14:35The chain is nearly 400 meters long, or in ship terminology, 14 and a half shackles.
14:42It weighs in at around 80 tons, about 40 times as heavy as the average British car.
14:48It's not just a matter of lifting the anchor.
14:53Precise control of the ship's movements is critical.
14:57The bridge is basically maneuvering and they have to know how the anchor chain is looking.
15:03Because the bridge is controlling the speed and the thrusters and the pods in order to maneuver the vessel.
15:12Bridge forward, chain leading up and down.
15:16Bridge forward, anchor sighted.
15:20Anchor sighted.
15:21Stop!
15:22Stop!
15:23Other way around.
15:24Other way around.
15:25Lower the anchor.
15:26Captain, we have to lower the anchor a little bit.
15:27It's dragging on the pipe.
15:28Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly.
15:29The chain's winding unevenly into the storage area known as a chain locker.
15:34Everything went according to plan until we have the last shackle on deck.
15:51Because sometimes, once the chain is going down the chain locker, it's piling up.
15:56That's basically a problem.
15:57Because if it gets stuck, then we cannot basically lower the anchor.
16:08Okay.
16:09Looks good.
16:10It is soon.
16:11Yeah.
16:13Anchor raised.
16:14It's onwards to the next destination.
16:26During the course of one day, the nearly 4,000 passengers and crew on the ship will chomp their way through around 20,000 meals and snacks.
16:36It's onions, onions.
16:39The man responsible for ensuring no one ever goes hungry or thirsty is food and beverage director Mehmet Busakhani.
16:47Good morning.
16:48Who's rather taken to life afloat.
16:50I'm from Turkey and this is 21 years at sea.
16:57Everything looks nice, fresh and ready for the morning.
17:00It became a life habit.
17:02Last 21 years, I couldn't get rid of it.
17:07Mehmet's day starts with an inspection of standards in the Lido Market Buffet.
17:12Everything nicely prepared.
17:13As a food and beverage director, I am responsible of the restaurants, bars, kitchens, as well as the provision.
17:25The Lido Market serves breakfast to upwards of 2,000 passengers, so everything has to run like clockwork.
17:31I like to be here to see the opening of the Lido, and to see the freshness of the product, and I like to see the place when it's empty, when there's not many people around so I can see the corrections need to be done.
17:45When it comes to how many people we have to feed, that's quite challenging.
17:50Even at 6am, Mehmet's liable to run into passengers, including one he's got to know well.
17:57Good morning, Steve! What a surprise!
18:01Oh, good? Early rides as usual, huh?
18:03You know, absolutely. On the way to the gym, but...
18:05Oh, I like that. I like that.
18:06It's always great seeing your smiley face.
18:08Thank you so much. Enjoy. Enjoy your workout.
18:11Have fun and ready for a nice breakfast afterwards.
18:13Absolutely.
18:14I like that. All right.
18:15Enjoy!
18:2177-year-old Steve from Miami has become a familiar face to all the crew.
18:26Being part way through a long-term cruise.
18:30I began cruising in 2004. That was my first cruise.
18:35I quickly found that it was a great way to travel, and so a couple of years ago, about almost three years ago now, I decided I'm going to live on the ship.
18:47We chase the sun all over the world. How can you not enjoy life?
18:51Steve embarked on full-time cruising after the loss of his husband.
18:58The retired lawyer and charity founder, he rents out his Miami apartment to fund his new life afloat.
19:04And I've probably, at this point, sailed over 700 days just on this journey.
19:10You can create a neighborhood just like you would at home or whatever.
19:13You get to know the staff. You get to know passengers and saying hi to people and whatever.
19:18You feel immediately at home.
19:20Hey! How you doing?
19:21Good. How are you?
19:22I'm doing well.
19:23All right.
19:24Good morning.
19:25Hello. Good morning. How are you?
19:26I'm doing well. Thank you.
19:29Every morning is the same.
19:30I get up in the morning. I grab a light breakfast.
19:33You've got my almond croissant. Thank you very much.
19:35Because I live on the ship, it's important not to eat like I'm on a seven-day cruise and eat everything.
19:41I'm going to have Eggs Benedict, just one, and some bacon.
19:47The gym's on the other end of the ship, so I get some steps in on the way to the gym.
19:52Come back to the cabin, get a quick shower, shave.
19:55Everything's printed out here that's available on the ship.
19:59And so most of my mornings are just spent, what do I want to do today?
20:04You never know what's going to happen. It's an adventure every day.
20:11Today, the ship's docked on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic,
20:19which forms part of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest in the Caribbean.
20:26As part of his mission to make the most of his years at sea,
20:30Steve's opted to explore the port city of Puerto Plata
20:34with a three-and-a-half-hour chauffeur-driven classic car tour.
20:41I'm not quite old enough to be when these cars were real popular, but some of them I am.
20:42But my first car was a 64 Mustang, but...
20:44I'm not quite old enough to be when these cars were real popular, but some of them I am.
20:48But my first car was a 64 Mustang, but, you know, these are so great.
20:52And, of course, who couldn't say no to a Silver Shadow Rolls-Royce?
20:54No, it's a Rolls-Royce.
20:55Yeah, a Rolls-Royce.
20:56A Rolls-Royce.
20:57Yeah, a beautiful car.
20:58Yeah, a beautiful car.
20:59It's a beautiful car.
21:00Yeah, it's a beautiful car, the beautiful road monster.
21:03And I've been told I could pick one, so I'm...
21:04You know...
21:05Yeah, you pick one, whatever you want.
21:07Your favorite car.
21:11I'm not quite old enough to be when these cars were real popular, but some of them I am.
21:14The silver shadow Rolls Royce.
21:16Yeah, beautiful car.
21:17It's a beautiful car.
21:18The beautiful road marks there.
21:22Is this a 57 Chevy?
21:24Famous?
21:25No, this is a Chrysler.
21:2652 Chrysler.
21:27It's got the same shape, though, of cars in that era,
21:29in the 50s.
21:32Uh-oh.
21:33Ooh.
21:34Like this?
21:35I really like red.
21:36You know, I really do.
21:37That's a Dodge Dart.
21:38That brings back so many memories in the 60s and 70s.
21:42It's Dodge Dart 666.
21:45That's the one.
21:46This is the one I want.
21:47Can we drive it?
21:48I can drive.
21:49OK.
21:50Yeah.
21:51OK, let's do it.
21:52All right.
21:53This is going to be fun.
21:55The roller bar.
21:58All right.
22:01Oh, listen to that.
22:02There's no sound.
22:03Oh, my God.
22:04It's so quiet.
22:05Is this electric?
22:06No, I'm kidding.
22:12The new Staten Dam has docked in the Dominican Republic,
22:17and long-term cruise passenger Steve is on a classic car
22:21excursion around the streets of Port City, Puerto Plata.
22:25Oh, this is a...
22:26Oh, yes.
22:27Oh, my gosh.
22:28Can we stop?
22:29Yeah.
22:30I'm going to get...
22:31I've got to get a photograph.
22:32Yeah.
22:33Umbrella Street is a collaboration between local artists
22:36and the city authorities, and a place to sample organic
22:39Dominican coffee, an ice cream, or even learn how to roll a cigar.
22:46This is so much fun.
22:47A 66 Dodge Dart.
22:49I mean, oh, my God.
22:50It brings so many memories back.
22:52When I was in the 60s, I was in high school,
22:54and, uh, this would have been a great car to have.
22:58Can you imagine?
23:03Buenos dias.
23:05Hola.
23:11Steve used to share his cruise holidays with his late husband.
23:15In 2004, I took my first cruise to Alaska,
23:19and when I met Tom,
23:21I persuaded him to join me on that first cruise,
23:24and we shared a love for that way of travel.
23:30You know, we've enjoyed travel all around the world,
23:33but we always had favorite places.
23:35And I've got to say,
23:36this is one of the favorite places we've had.
23:42When I lost Tom in 2016,
23:44I didn't want to cruise at that point at all,
23:47but I knew that this was something I wanted to, again, try.
23:53You know, I love meeting people around the world,
23:56and especially on beautiful days like this or whatever,
24:00it's just, it's just the very best way.
24:02I know it's a bubble,
24:03but this is a period of my life,
24:06two and a half years so far,
24:07but maybe for another couple of years,
24:09that I get to experience the world again.
24:18You know what?
24:19I think the next thing on our list is a rum tour.
24:21Can you believe it?
24:22It's 12 noon, rum time.
24:32Steve's not the only one contemplating a tipple.
24:35Passengers on the new Statendam
24:37can look forward to anything from soft drinks
24:39to cocktails and champagne.
24:42Cheers.
24:43Cheers to a good night.
24:45And during the course of one day,
24:46over a thousand pints of beer will be consumed.
24:50Making sure supplies never dry up
24:52is food and beverage director Mehmet Musakali.
24:55His domain includes a network of storage rooms
24:58in the bowels of the ship.
25:00Nice.
25:01And the alcohol store is the most closely guarded.
25:06It is one of the most important parts of the operation
25:09to ensure we have enough stock.
25:11Whatever we advertise to our guests,
25:13we want to ensure that we have it available for them.
25:16So a room like this,
25:18especially on the long wages,
25:20you can easily reach up to maybe $800 to $800,000,
25:25a million dollars.
25:26But here most probably at the moment,
25:28the value can go up somewhere $250 to $300,000.
25:33We do have the wines here.
25:36We do around 350 to 400 bottles a day.
25:39That is equal to almost 3,000 bottles a cruise.
25:44Just to pass by our supermarket.
25:47Keeping the food fresh on board is one of the most important
25:52and challenging parts of our operation.
25:54Good morning.
25:55Good morning.
25:56All good with the general supplies?
25:58Good, sir.
26:00Perfect.
26:01Unable to pop to the shops to stock up,
26:04Mehmet has detailed data on what's needed for a two-week cruise.
26:08The lowest decks of the ship have more than 500 square meters
26:12of chiller and freezer storage for fish and meat,
26:15over double the area of a tennis court.
26:17And there's more.
26:19Vakery smells nice.
26:21And our vegetables.
26:24The fruit and veg get their own chiller room.
26:27A two-week cruise will get through well over a ton of carrots
26:31and 350 kilos of spinach,
26:34not to mention two tons of tomatoes,
26:36over 2,000 pineapples,
26:38and a lot else besides.
26:40There's oranges, grapes.
26:47Mmm.
26:48Nice one.
26:49A lot of effort goes into keeping everything
26:51in tip-top condition.
26:53We don't get over-ripe product on board
26:56to ensure it lasts longer.
26:57So all the product before it comes on board
27:00need to be checked,
27:01need to be fresh, possible,
27:03nothing over-ripe,
27:04so we can keep them on in our fridges safely.
27:08Bananas get extra-special consideration.
27:11They're bought at different grades of ripeness
27:14according to how soon they'll be needed.
27:16For the banana, we must issue per day four cases
27:20to keep them buried.
27:22So we need to get them out as fresh as possible.
27:25If all goes according to plan,
27:27no one need ever be confronted by a green or brown banana.
27:31Where we have three more days,
27:34yeah, it's still in good condition.
27:36We have enough stock on the levels,
27:38and it's not over-stocked, so that's good.
27:41Yeah.
27:43We try to ensure we only go into the rooms
27:46where we need it to go,
27:48and it's monitored at all the time with the temperatures.
27:50Just along from the produce is the dry store,
27:53where spices come in one-kilo tubs
27:56that last just three days,
27:58and four tons of rice will be used up in a fortnight.
28:01There's so much good stuff.
28:04Whatever you can literally find at the supermarket
28:07and more, definitely we have it in the store.
28:10It may trump a supermarket,
28:14but it is a little heavier than a typical weekly shop.
28:17On average, around 83,000 kilos of food
28:21is needed on board each week.
28:23Then I turn the light of my office.
28:28Round's completed,
28:30Mehmet's next task is to top up supplies
28:33with more food and booze.
28:35What's happening now, I'm approving around
28:38half a million dollars of orders.
28:41It is approved.
28:47Back on Terra Firma,
28:49Steve is retracing the routes he rode with his late husband Tom.
28:53Determined to avail himself of every opportunity,
28:56he's now heading to a rum tour.
28:58The Dominican Republic is noted for its rum.
29:01Over 500,000 metric tons of sugarcane
29:04is produced annually,
29:06and a big slice of that
29:07ends up as the nectar we call rum.
29:10There are many types to try.
29:13You promised no driving, right?
29:15Thank God.
29:17Ain't dangerous, yeah.
29:19Like the pineapple family.
29:24One, two, three, four, five, just six.
29:27That's all, just six.
29:29But I've been promised a seventh,
29:31probably before I buy one of the bottles
29:33or more of the bottles.
29:37This is great.
29:38But I could tell if I had a whole bunch of these,
29:41you'd get lost.
29:43It's fun, though.
29:44Salud!
29:46Ah, yes.
29:54Tell me where I'm at again.
30:01While Steve might appreciate a darkened room
30:04to sleep things off,
30:05much of the ship is stylishly lit
30:07by thousands of lights.
30:09They're just part of a constant demand for electricity.
30:12Deck 10, panorama deck.
30:14The water purification system,
30:16the sound and light for stage shows,
30:18state-of-the-art gym equipment,
30:20and the nerve center that's the bridge,
30:22they all need power.
30:24Let's find the breaker for AC-4.
30:26Working hard behind the scenes
30:28to keep everything ticking over,
30:30first electrical officer Josh Ritchie
30:32and his colleague Andrew Swart.
30:34Breaking our breaker 220.
30:36The electrical department covers multiple things
30:39from transformers,
30:41the azipots, the propulsion system,
30:43generate the power distribution
30:45around the new starting number.
30:48We have two people whose main job
30:51is to change label.
30:53We call them the lampies,
30:55because they're always changing lamps.
30:58Josh, who hails from Edinburgh,
31:00has trained for wider responsibilities.
31:03I became an electrical engineer
31:05about 14 years ago.
31:07Okay, Andrew, let's rack our breaker 220.
31:10One of my friends was a navigation officer
31:13on a supply ship.
31:15It sounded like an interesting job.
31:17I had a look to see what other job careers
31:19were in this industry,
31:20and electrical sounded best to me,
31:22so I applied for the apprenticeship
31:24and here I am.
31:26Our responsibilities are anything electrical on the ship,
31:29keeping the electricity on for the passengers
31:32so they can have a good time at sea,
31:34uninterrupted.
31:36If we've not noticed at all,
31:38then we're doing a good job.
31:42Yeah, breaker's wrecked out.
31:43Yeah.
31:44Okay, let's close the air for breaker 220.
31:47I've always wanted to work at sea.
31:48I went down to Cape Town to do my studies
31:50and I met a doctor there
31:52who was working on board
31:54and she gave me contact details
31:56for one of the chief electricians on board
31:58and I contacted him
31:59and within two weeks,
32:01Holland America came back to me
32:02and offered me a job.
32:03Let's verify the earth is on.
32:05Today the duo are carrying out
32:07their monthly maintenance checks,
32:08vital to keep systems
32:10such as the air conditioning running smoothly.
32:13The electrical supply to the air cons,
32:15that is our responsibility.
32:17We do maintenance
32:18on the high voltage side of the AC supplies.
32:22Before they start their checks,
32:23it's critically important
32:24to disconnect the power
32:26and be certain it's disconnected.
32:29The switchboard is like,
32:30it's very similar to your fuse box at home,
32:33but it's a lot bigger,
32:34a lot higher voltage.
32:36Well, the worst case scenario for the ship,
32:38it would be loss of equipment,
32:39loss of power.
32:40For us,
32:41it would be serious injury,
32:43possibly even death.
32:44For passengers and crew who like a much gentler shot to the system,
32:54there's coffee and plenty of it.
32:56Between them,
32:57they get through nearly 60,000 cups per week.
33:00At least I would say 100 is mine.
33:03Sanu Pillai is the cruise line's fully cavernated fleet executive chef.
33:11His many responsibilities include food on the cruise line's three largest,
33:16newest ships,
33:17and he's usually based ashore.
33:19I live in Milton Keyes,
33:20the city of Randobots.
33:21I love it.
33:22I went to one of the best culinary schools in India actually,
33:26but then I wanted to learn more.
33:28And that's when I read an article about the UK chefs
33:32and how great the industry is,
33:34and that's why I decided to move to the United Kingdom.
33:37My mother,
33:38she cooks very well as well.
33:40That's one place I cannot go and try to show off.
33:43My mother tells me off.
33:44She said,
33:45no, you're not executive chef here.
33:46This is my kitchen.
33:48Food is amazing.
33:49It's an international language, you know.
33:52Today,
33:53Sanu will be communicating his passion to the passengers
33:56in a step-by-step demonstration.
33:58So,
33:59this is where we do the prep.
34:02The magic will happen on the ship's world stage,
34:05an auditorium that can house up to 760 people.
34:09So, we got some fresh sea bus ready for our cooking demo
34:12we are doing today at sea.
34:14We're going to make some nice tacos with it.
34:16Sanu will be lifting the lid on one of the ship's popular recipes.
34:20It says four pieces of fresh sea bus.
34:24Mm-hm.
34:25With skib on.
34:26Oh, I'm looking for trying one.
34:27It's something passengers will be able to sample during their cruise.
34:31As a guest, you know, you come on board the ships
34:35and you try all these great recipes.
34:37So, we also are teaching them
34:39how they could do this at home.
34:43Noel.
34:48How are you today? Good?
34:49All good.
34:50Ready for the demo?
34:51I will be behind you.
34:52Not behind, together.
34:53Okay, besides you.
34:54Okay, that's better.
34:56Noel is our executive chef on board.
34:58Noel is the one responsible to make sure
35:00that the daily operation runs flawlessly.
35:03Noel just came on board as well.
35:05After a great vacation.
35:06So, he's up, you know, ready.
35:08Fresh.
35:09Very fresh.
35:11I'll catch you later.
35:12I'll see you in the demo.
35:13No problem.
35:14I'll see you later.
35:15Bye-bye.
35:17With chef Noel primed,
35:18the next step is selecting the perfect sea bus for the demo.
35:22We are going to three decks down.
35:23That's where the fish prep room is.
35:25So, we are on B deck now.
35:27So, we are literally under water.
35:31Much of B deck is a busy working area for crew,
35:34part of the 50% of the ship passengers will never see.
35:39Victor here is our fish prep man.
35:42He is my person taking care of all our fresh fish.
35:45When it comes on board, it's segregated.
35:49Today, Sinu's choosing his sea bass
35:51from amongst the 14 fresh fish varieties at his disposal.
35:56On board the ship,
35:57we have over 2,000 kilos of different species of fish.
36:01That's fresh as well as the frozen ones we have.
36:05The cruise line has a strategy designed to use fresh local fish
36:08rather than frozen as much as possible.
36:11We have the fresh sea bass here from port to plate in 48 hours.
36:16So, if it's a two-week cruise continuously, right?
36:20If in between there is ports,
36:22we will source fish from that local ports.
36:24Say, for instance, if the ship is in Hawaii,
36:27it's left San Diego going to Honolulu,
36:30we will just source enough fish from San Diego
36:33which will last for us for the next 48 hours or a few more days
36:36just to make sure that we use that.
36:38Then again, we will source the fish locally
36:40in Honolulu and the Hawaiian port.
36:42We source based on the port,
36:44based on the availability and where exactly we are sailing.
36:48With the sea bass selected,
36:49all that's left to do is reel in the audience with the demo.
36:53Sometimes the demo can go wrong.
36:55It can be an electrical glitch
36:57or it can be, say, your induction pan is not working.
37:01It's very important that the prep is ready,
37:04we got the right ingredients,
37:06and the show is on.
37:18As the ship continues its voyage,
37:21electrical engineers Josh and Andrew are pressing on.
37:24All right, you ready? Good on.
37:26Yeah, let's get on.
37:27With work on maintaining the electrics
37:29of the air conditioning system.
37:32On these ships, we've got five AC units.
37:35Some of them are powered with 11,000 volts
37:38and some of them are powered with 690 volts,
37:41a lower voltage.
37:42The powerful air con systems
37:44play a crucial role in passenger comfort.
37:47It's very important
37:48because sometimes the seawater temperature is really high,
37:51therefore the vessel inside gets very hot.
37:53We need a lot of air conditioning.
37:54But working in a high-voltage environment
37:57is a serious task.
38:00The risk factor is very high.
38:0311,000 volts is very dangerous.
38:06You only got one chance if it goes wrong.
38:10When working with so many volts,
38:12we need to wear the correct PPE,
38:14an arc flash suit.
38:16Andrew's got his suit up for snow.
38:18This protects us from an arc flash of 11,000 volts
38:23against the heat and the fumes and things.
38:26But it does feel like, I don't know,
38:28I would say Voldemort or something
38:30when you're wearing the suit.
38:33Andrew will set each face
38:35and verify that it's green,
38:37that it's greener.
38:39OK, so now we've proved dead.
38:42Everything's isolated.
38:45Now the pair are satisfied the power is off,
38:48they can continue with their tests safely.
38:51Basically, we're just checking
38:53to make sure there's nothing burst,
38:54nothing damaged, no heat prevented.
38:57Heat damage or anything.
38:59If you see any problems,
39:01you can catch the ground with the 4D.
39:03It'll become a bigger system.
39:06This is done on a regular basis,
39:08every six months.
39:10Once it's back to service,
39:11then the AC sets can run again.
39:15OK, so maintenance of air conditioning unit 4
39:18is complete if it's back to normal.
39:21Temperatures look OK.
39:23Valves look OK.
39:24Pressures look OK.
39:26I'm satisfied with you.
39:27Yeah, I'm happy we can put it back to standby.
39:30OK, back to standby.
39:32Electricity is fundamental on the ship,
39:35without electricity, we're going nowhere.
39:45In the ship's auditorium,
39:47the air con will soon be working hard
39:49as the cookery show gets underway,
39:51with chefs Sinu and Noel demonstrating
39:54a favorite recipe and Claire Adams as MC.
39:57Chef Noel's back in the house.
40:00Did you know you were doing this
40:02as soon as you got back?
40:03Yes.
40:05Claire.
40:06Claire's energy level is absolutely brilliant.
40:10The cruise and travel director
40:12will have to bring her A-game.
40:14This event regularly attracts audiences of 200.
40:18Be nice to try this, a spicy slaw.
40:21And welcome to a lovely collaboration
40:23that we get to do between our entertainment department
40:26and our amazing culinary team that keeps you fed.
40:29What's nice about these cooking shows
40:31is you get to cook a dish inspired by the region.
40:33So a lot of the time I steal the recipes and take them home.
40:36So the dish that we're doing today
40:39is a little bit Caribbean-inspired
40:41and it is something that you're going to be able to try
40:43later in the cruise.
40:45And we'll talk about that in just a bit.
40:46But without further ado,
40:48please welcome to the stage your executive chef, Noel, everybody.
40:52Chef?
40:53I don't know where he is.
40:54It's always very interesting.
40:55They always keep me on my toes.
40:56Hi, Claire.
40:57Oh, for goodness sakes.
40:58You can't do this to me.
40:59You know, Claire, after living in Milton Keyes in England,
41:02you'll get used to this roundabouts.
41:03So you can't never go anywhere straight.
41:04So I couldn't come.
41:05I had to take the roundabout.
41:06At least it makes me feel like home, right?
41:07Okay.
41:08We don't rehearse these things.
41:09We don't rehearse these things.
41:10We don't rehearse these things.
41:11We don't rehearse these things.
41:12We don't rehearse these things.
41:13We don't rehearse these things.
41:14We don't know what the chef is going to say.
41:15What the chef is going to say.
41:16Please welcome to the stage your fleet executive chef,
41:17Sino, everybody.
41:18I don't know where he is.
41:19It's always very interesting.
41:20So I couldn't come.
41:21I had to take the roundabout.
41:22At least it makes me feel like home, right?
41:24Okay.
41:25We don't rehearse these things.
41:27We know what the dish is going to be.
41:28But apart from that,
41:29it's my job to keep the show moving.
41:31So I've just got a couple of little fish jokes in there
41:35that I'm just going to keep in my brain,
41:37just in case I feel like they maybe need to be dropped
41:39into the conversation.
41:40Actually, chef, I do have something about fish
41:43that you might want to know.
41:45Okay.
41:46Why does the fish always know its own weight?
41:49Why?
41:50Why?
41:51Because it has its own scales.
41:53Yay!
41:56All right.
41:57That one always gets a groan.
41:59It gets a groan, Anja.
42:01Oh, yeah, it does have its own scales.
42:03It's educational.
42:05She keeps trying hard also with the fish jokes.
42:08Why is the fish so smart?
42:11Because it always swims in schools.
42:15Some of them works.
42:16Some of them don't, to be honest.
42:18But I still laugh, you know.
42:20Next up, I think, is the spicy slaw.
42:23So I already incorporate the red onion and then the jalapeno.
42:27Now I'm putting a teaspoon of the cider vinegar.
42:30Cider vinegar, just to get that acid in there.
42:32Okay, lovely.
42:33And also a little pineapple juice.
42:36If you give a recipe and if you don't show how to do it, you know, it's kind of boring.
42:42And this is our way of also showing off that, you know, when we're doing the demo, this is how we do it.
42:47Every single day at 4.15 in the galley, they have a main galley tasting.
42:53Appetizer, main course, dessert, everything.
42:56So it's really difficult as a chef to lose weight, you see.
43:00And they also say that never trust a skinny chef.
43:03So that's one of the reasons I've got to maintain it.
43:05It's part of the job profile.
43:07It can go wrong as well.
43:09It has happened before, you know.
43:11Actually, Chef Noel, we did manage to burn something once, didn't we?
43:15Yes, one time I burned the asparagus.
43:17But whose fault was it?
43:19It's you.
43:20Your fault.
43:21And why was it my fault?
43:23I mentioned it to you already.
43:25While we are cooking in the kitchen, we do not talk.
43:28We only cook.
43:31Gentlemen, this is your spicy sea bass tacos.
43:37I want to say thank you very much to both of our chefs.
43:40I think we did a great job.
43:41And thank you for joining us, everyone.
43:42Thank you all.
43:43Love you all.
43:44It is fantastic.
43:51It's our moment of glory because we are in the galley always.
43:55It smells very good.
43:57They did a good job, hey?
44:00This is where we come on a centre stage or a world stage
44:03and we are showing off.
44:04You know what, this is how we do it.
44:06Pleasure.
44:08Thank you very much.
44:14The two-week Caribbean cruise has been to some remarkable destinations and there are more miles to cover before it reaches its final port.
44:24For Richard and Jackie, it's time to take stock.
44:27I think this has been the best holiday I've ever had.
44:31Am I genuinely mean it yet?
44:32It's been a great two weeks.
44:33I mean, the things we've seen and done.
44:37For some, life at sea continues.
44:40Steve's time afloat is nowhere near over.
44:43I often tell people the feeling that we can all relate to if you cruise.
44:49The night before you have to get off, you know, you've got to pack.
44:51It's kind of a downer.
44:52You're saying goodbye to so many people, you know.
44:55If you extend your cruisers, you won't have that feeling.
44:58Hey.
44:59How are you doing?
45:00How are you?
45:01I'm doing well.
45:02All right.
45:04It's an amazing way to see the world again.
45:06It's an amazing way to meet new people.
45:08And I love it.
45:10And for Claire and Andrew, the adventure has only just begun.
45:15See, it's beautiful.
45:18Does this make you miss home?
45:22Yeah, we get really nice sunsets at home, but this is special.
45:25Yeah, but is this better or is home better?
45:27This is special, yeah?
45:28It's so special because I'm here.
45:30Should we head up for dinner?
45:33Yeah.
45:34Next time across the Atlantic, the ship docks in Portugal for a Kate and Leo moment.
45:51You could do that Titanic thing there, like.
45:53And an excursion in Tenerife leaves no scope to wriggle off the hook.
45:58We will catch fish.
46:00Woo-hoo!
46:01Captain Glenn's bringing Ibiza straight on deck, loaded with DJs and drama.
46:10Brand new below deck sailing yachts.
46:13Stream it now.
46:14Sticking there on Isla Blanca, Liv's getting set for a paella cookery date.
46:18Spicy.
46:19Celebs go dating on E4 right now.
46:22In Flight, our big new thriller continues next.
46:25L
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